A toddler with a tumour the size of a melon growing from his bottom is set to receive life-changing surgery, after his mother abandoned him.

The tumour currently weighs almost as much as the young unnamed boy and medics in China are close to performing an operation to remove it, thanks to a flood of donations to help the youngster.

The boy is the son of Lin Meng, 23, who met her partner and the boy’s father, You Shen, 25, after he moved to Shishi city in southeast China’s Fujian province.

A toddler with a tumour the size of a melon (pictured) is set to receive life-changing surgery, after his mother abandoned him. Funds for the operation are being raised to remove the tumour, which weighs almost as much as the child

According to the boy's grandmother, there was no indication during the pregnancy that there was a problem. But when he was born, it became clear that he had a tumour the size of a grapefruit on his bottom, which has since grown

You Shen moved to the city with his parents, You Yin and her husband Yuan Daping, who decided on a fresh start because they could not get work in their hometown in Guizhou province, south west China.

All three family members managed to find a job and their happiness seemed complete when You Shen met Lin Meng, who became pregnant.

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According to the boy's grandmother, there was no indication during the pregnancy that there was a anything unusual about the baby.

But when he was born, it became clear that he had a tumour the size of a grapefruit on his bottom.

You Yin said that the boy’s mother
‘waited until she was discharged from hospital and then sneaked out in
the night and never came back'.

You Yin said that the boy's mother 'waited until she was discharged from hospital and then sneaked out in the night and never came back. She was unhappy about the boy's deformity but we were shocked that she just decided to abandon him - he is such a sweet child

The family's plight was picked up by local media and a hospital stepped forward, agreeing to treat the boy, while donations flooded in from the public to pay for the treatment

‘She was unhappy about the boy's deformity but we were shocked that she just decided to abandon him – he is such a sweet child,' she said.

‘We spent all of the money we had on treatment and borrowed money as well.’

The family sought help at many hospitals, most of which were unable to help, and all the while the tumour continued to grow, reaching the size of a melon.

The family’s plight was picked up by local media and a hospital stepped forward, agreeing to treat the boy, while donations flooded in from the public to pay for the treatment.

Experts at Quanzhou Children’s Hospital, who have accepted the child for an operation, say that the tumour can almost certainly be safely removed so that the boy can make a full recovery.